Overlie
by Countess Millarca
Summary: The thought of Kurenai regarding him as a man was not nearly as bothersome or troublesome as he would have liked it to be.
1. Leaf of Equilibrium

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. All rights belong to Kishimoto, Masashi.**

"You're _such_ a lazy ass!" Ino hissed at her former teammate for the third time this week, exasperation bleeding into her tone. Stomping away in large, unladylike steps, she wondered why she even bothered with the lackadaisical bum.

Shikamaru exhaled a leisure puff of smoke, allowing her to believe what she will if it would get her off his back. If Ino wished to think of him as lazy because he refused to be a victim of her matchmaking charades then so be it. That wasn't exactly true, though. More than laziness, it was a matter of avoidance. Indulging people's whims and being unreasonably active created expectations – which then bred complications. And, contrary to common belief regarding intelligent people, Shikamaru reveled in simplicity and monotony. He could count his likes in one hand – cloud watching, shōgi, silence, napping. Anything else disturbed his equilibrium. Hate was too strong a word, rarely existent in his vocabulary, but dislike came really close to describing the emotion he felt whenever that happened. As such, there were a few things he instinctively knew not to do. Don't antagonize his mother. Don't involve himself in Ino's shenanigans. Don't smoke in Kurenai's presence.

He could not help but succumb occasionally, albeit reluctantly, to the former two. His mother and Ino shared the uncanny ability of knowing exactly how to corner him in unfavorable situations. Their underhanded methods were ever a mystery to him and, if he wished to be honest, Shikamaru didn't much care to delve into the matter further. Deciphering their unconventional wiles was simply too damn troublesome to be worth it. However, to this day, he had never failed to upkeep the latter because the complications that would arise were vastly incomparable to a mere headache caused by his mother or Ino's capriccios.

The rich scent of tobacco reminded Kurenai of only one person; Asuma, with his hearty laughter, his ragged charm, his brave selflessness. Shikamaru may have been his subordinate, considered him his mentor, loved him, but the truth was that he was nothing like him. He sparsely fought in the front lines, he wasn't suited to be teaching others, he wasn't mindful of female sensibilities – except for Kurenai's. Shikamaru was aware that Kurenai had been the first person to acknowledge him as an adult – not a kid with a vendetta – the day he began smoking, the day he exacted his revenge for Asuma's death. For that reason, he had vowed never to light up a cigarette when she was around. It was dangerous, far too easy to slip, almost inevitable to overlap. Kurenai undoubtedly viewed him as a man, but he was _not_ Asuma; he would _never_ be Asuma; he didn't _want_ to be Asuma.

The thought of Kurenai regarding him as a man was not _nearly_ as bothersome or troublesome as he would have liked it to be, however.

"Damn," Shikamaru cursed, a note of resigned dejection in his voice, crushing the butt of his cigarette. "There goes my afternoon nap."

**Word Count: 500**

**A/N: This was begging to be written, so I grudgingly indulged. Dunno if I will leave it as a one-shot since there is room for more, but for now I'm happy with it.**


	2. A Little Pain

**A/N: I decided to develop this into a chapter story since there was interest and my muse was clobbering my mind with a club. Chapter length will vary – could be between 500 to 5000 words – depending on my mood, and updates will be sporadic. I'm placing this many years after the war 'cause I dun wanna deal with that. All you need to know is that the Alliance won, some people died, some lived (Neji), couples formed, and the rest will be revealed as they come. Note the rating changed to 'M', though we all know it means 'MA' in reality. Hopefully, this will be the last A/N I'll write as I'm not particularly fond of them myself. Onwards!**

* * *

"Look at this room – like a dump! It wouldn't kill you to clean up after yourself once in a while! Wake up, Shikamaru! You have a briefing in an hour, and I made breakfast." Yoshino clicked her tongue as she swiftly drew the curtains open, fussing around, picking up discarded clothes and whatnot. Shikamaru made a disgruntled noise deep in his throat at her unwarranted intrusion, suppressing a yawn as he muttered under his breath about troublesome women.

"I'm moving out," he delivered his line as if he was saying 'good morning', giving no further thought to the matter. Even if he had made the effort to sugarcoat it and soften the blow, his mother would have had the same reaction she was about to have right now.

"What nonsense are you spewing, Shikamaru? Are you half-asleep?" Yoshino reeled back, pinning her son with an incredulous, full of disapproval, glare. "You can't live on your own! You don't cook, you don't clean, you don't wash, you're lazy, you'll starve..." she began in an angry tirade, barely paying attention to him as she counted all the ways why this was out of the question.

"Are you listening to me?" she snapped at him when he showed no sign of even remotely acknowledging her.

"Yeah." Shikamaru winced at the high-pitched volume of her voice, but continued either way. "I'm still moving out."

Yoshino's features turned to stone at the unfamiliar resolution in her son's eyes and she turned to leave, throwing his clothes on the floor. This was exactly the reaction Shikamaru had hoped to avoid and the reason he had delayed doing this for years, but he just couldn't stand to be a replacement for _anyone_ any longer – not Asuma and, certainly, not his father. True, he mostly wanted to leave for his own peace of mind, but his mother needed the separation just as much. His father was dead; Shikaku was not coming back; and Yoshino needed to move on. It was as simple as that.

Reaching for his cigarette pack, he contemplated whether to go down for breakfast or head straight to the Hokage's office. The latter, he decided, making a note to stop by the Yamanaka's flower shop on his way and kindly ask Ino's mother to visit in the afternoon.

* * *

_Damned, ramen-addicted slacker_, Shikamaru cursed when he realized what his 'briefing' entailed once he took one step into the Rokudaime's office. Naruto was nowhere to be found, but a ridiculously huge amount of paperwork was waiting for him atop the mahogany desk with a 'Yoroshiku!' post-it on the first file. Picking up Naruto's slack had become a monthly routine for the Nara shinobi, ever since Tsunade had decided to step down and award herself for all her previous hard work with an alcohol-filled retirement. Shikamaru wouldn't have minded not being on the field and doing paperwork on most days, which Naruto shamelessly took advantage of; however, today was _not _most days.

"Do you need help there, Shikamaru?" Izumo sneaked his head in, not looking particularly eager for the task, but at least having the decency to offer in contrast to his partner.

"Nah, I'm good," Shikamaru gave him a wry smile, immersing himself in the tedious affairs that demanded the Hokage's attention. The sooner he finished here, the faster he could leave, and he was always most proficient when he worked alone.

It was late afternoon by the time Shikamaru finished the most pressing assignments. By then, he'd had half a mind to track down Naruto and give him a piece of his mind, but that would require more energy than he would have liked to spend on the rambunctious blond. No, Shikamaru needed all the extra energy he could muster for the place he was itching to visit after this. It had been over a month since he had last went to see Tenten which was not surprising, but he was nearing his limit. He suspected the same applied for her, as well. Tenten had been the one to approach him a little over a year ago after Neji's marriage to some Hyūga girl.

No strings attached, she had said, and Shikamaru had simply found no reason to reject her offer. Tenten was smart, gorgeous, practical, and – the best part – the most tolerable woman he had known. He also knew why she had chosen _him _– a distraction. Shikamaru would not cause her any trouble, he would not broadcast it, he wouldn't ask questions she didn't want to answer, he was knee-deep in shit as much as she was. That was basically the foundation of their relationship, if he could even call it that. Shikamaru played his role well, and Tenten was all too happy to return the favor when he needed to be distracted for a change – like now.

* * *

"Shi-ika-amaru... I – I can't... I'm goin-" Tenten panted, breathless.

Shikamaru could tell she was close without her hoarse vocalization, but he wasn't going to complain about it. In fact, he rather liked her low, needful moans, the way her spine writhed in rapture beneath him, the feel of her tight muscles gripping his cock with every hard thrust of his hips. Sultry tongue dragging across the tapered bones of her spine, he bent to press his heavy body against her back, planting his arms on either side of her neck on the messy bed.

"Don't let me hold you then," Shikamaru rasped in her ear, teeth capturing her lobe, biting lightly at the tender skin. His hand snaked around the front of her body, nails grazing against the contracting muscles of her stomach, gliding lower to give her the edge she craved in deft strokes. She climaxed with a husky scream not a minute later, her inner walls constricting around him in violent spasms, forcing his own release. Burying his face in the crook of her neck, amidst the matted locks of her dark hair, he rode out the last tremors of their orgasm. The scent of gardenias and sweat was heavy in the air he breathed as he rolled over when she collapsed on her chest, sated and spent. Tenten was the one to speak first after her heartbeat returned to its regular rhythm and she finally caught her breath – as always.

"What's wrong?" she asked, mild curiosity lacing her lilting voice, perusing him through half-lidded eyes as he lighted a cigarette. Shikamaru rarely exerted himself as he had done today, preferring to take it slow and leisure, unless she requested him to be rough with her. Being aware of this, Tenten had slipped into the habit of not pressing him, except on occasions she needed to be fucked so thoroughly, she would forget all the things that didn't make sense in her world any longer.

"Should there be something wrong?" Shikamaru returned, seemingly more focused on the thin line of pale smoke that slipped past his lips than the woman beside him.

"Smart-ass," she huffed, drowning a chuckle.

"I'm still your friend, you know – when you're not screwing me blind? If you wanna talk..." Tenten reminded him in a playful yet serious tone, making him turn to acknowledge her.

"Yeah, thanks," he murmured, almost absent-mindedly, thinking she had a gift for reading his moods better than anyone else. Then, again, it was not that surprising, considering their intimate involvement. No matter how impersonal and detached, sex always had a way of forming some sort of connection between two people, whether they intended for it to happen or not.

"I've got a mission coming up. See you next month?" Tenten informed him as she got up to head in the shower. The way she voiced it was too casual in his opinion, implying there was more to it than she let on. Perhaps, after a long while she had a mission with Neji, he guessed, but decided to let it go. If she was considerate enough not to meddle in his affairs then he owed her the same courtesy. Besides, deep down, Shikamaru knew what he actually felt was mere obligation to ask due to their entanglement rather than genuine concern, and no woman would appreciate that kind of attention. Hence, he deemed it wise not to bother her with his half-hearted feelings.

"Sure," Shikamaru called after her as he put out his cigarette, taking it as his cue to leave.

**Word Count: 1400**


	3. Time of Bewilderment

Shikamaru perused the small fern, sitting atop the sill of his window. It was... _too _green, too fresh, too full of life.

"That plant is going to die," he deadpanned.

"No, it won't," Kurenai argued, tremors of silent laughter racking her slim frame at the dry conviction in his tone. "You're a genius; figuring out how to keep a plant alive should be a piece of cake for you."

"Is that so?" he drawled, turning to stare at her through heavy-lidded eyes. There was laughter in his voice – and wryness.

Kurenai merely shrugged as if it was a given which – in this case – it _was_. "Besides, if even _I_ could do it then anyone can," she remarked, gracing him with the full weight of her stare. Sun rays spilled forth from the large windows, reflected in her eyes, and Shikamaru couldn't help but notice how they morphed the dark red hue of her irises into the color of warm blood.

"Worst case scenario? You could ask Ino to help you out," she then added, effectively erasing all thoughts of hypnotic eyes in his mind.

"Do I have to?" he grumbled, well aware that she was not simply referring to Ino's incomparable skill when it came to greenery.

"Let me put it to you this way; either you let her help you settle in, or you come back one night to discover your new apartment has been invaded by the flower committee," Kurenai elaborated, confirming his ugly suspicion.

"Troublesome woman... why does she need to decorate my place? I'm a minimalist at heart," Shikamaru exhaled a heavy sigh, accepting defeat, though none too gracefully.

"That puts it rather mildly," Kurenai scoffed, the corners of her crimson lips curving in an amused smile. Picking up her purse, she got up to leave, having accomplished the purpose of her visit by delivering her gift and warning him regarding Ino's intentions.

"So, I have to pick up Emiko from my mother. She tends to spoil her a little too much if I leave her there for long. Are you still coming on Monday?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

"You know I wouldn't miss it," Shikamaru nodded, a genuine smile softening his features.

"Thank you."

''And even if I could forget, Ino would remind me. She has been going on and on about it the whole month,'' he uttered with a dejected timbre, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes at the blonde kunoichi's antics.

"Please don't tell me she's planning something for the occasion?" Kurenai snapped to attention, faint worry marring the pale expanse of her forehead.

"It's not everyday Emiko enrolls in the Academy," Shikamaru pointed out simply.

"She's going to pre-school, Shikamaru. She's got quite a ways before she even holds a kunai in her hands," she clarified, teeth worrying her lower lip. It was an instinctive – normally harmless – reaction when she was troubled or confused, and Shikamaru had witnessed it more times than he would have liked to recall, yet it never failed to draw his attention at the plumpness of her flesh each time she did it.

"You know how Ino is, Kurenai. What do you want me to tell you?" he shot back, schooling his expression to one of mild boredom out of habit whenever this happened.

"Yeah, I guess there's no helping it then? I should hurry and find her if I want to keep whatever she's planning within reasonable bounds, though." Kurenai surrendered to the inevitability that was Ino's over-excitement, a short laugh escaping her lips.

"No kidding." Shikamaru shook his head, agreeing with her whole-heartedly. "I'll see you on Monday."

Even though he knew what was coming, had prepared himself for it time and again, he still could not help but twitch involuntarily, then go stiffly rigid, when Kurenai wrapped her bare arms around him, drawing him in for a quick hug. It was _never_ as short as she had intended it to be, however. The moment she inhaled the smoky scent of his skin, she clutched at him tighter, soft lips moving over the steady pulse at the hollow of his neck as she slowly drew back, warm breath seeping into the coolness of his skin. It _always_ lasted no more than a mere fragment of a second, but it felt like eons.

"Take care, Shikamaru," Kurenai spoke in a low murmur as she released him, the sound mellow and utterly feminine, more tempting than it should be.

"Kurenai," Shikamaru called after her as she was reaching the door. The words he uttered next succeeded in bringing the smile back on her face. ''That plant is doomed.''

"It better be alive when I visit next week!"

* * *

"I don't know what the hell he's thinking anymore! I mean, he _moved out_! I never thought the day would come when he'd do that..." Ino huffed, disbelief etched in her voice and her features.

"Shikamaru is an adult, Ino. I don't think it's weird he would want to live on his own at his age." Kurenai attempted to be the voice of logic, though suspecting it wouldn't make much of a difference. Ino proved her right not a minute later.

"But he_ can't_ live on his own!" the blonde woman insisted, a stubborn frown creasing her forehead.

"Naruto-kun lived alone for years before we –" Hinata mumbled in defense of the Nara male, unable to finish her sentence due to her persistent shyness, however.

"It's not the same, Hinata. Naruto didn't have a choice in the matter. Besides, he lived on ramen and you can clearly see the consequences of that," Sakura pointed out with slight disdain.

"Sasuke-kun lived alone, too," Hinata tried again, only to be refuted once more by the pink haired medic nin.

"Again, not a matter of choice. Not to mention that after living alone for so many years, he now _can't _live with another person..." Sakura muttered the last part, sighing deeply.

"I take it things aren't going well?" Kurenai asked softly, placing a comforting hand on the younger woman's shoulder.

"I don't even know anymore..." Sakura whispered in a voice so low that Kurenai had to strain her ears in order to hear it.

"Why are men such idiots?" Ino exclaimed, having no problem raising her voice on Sakura's account.

"You can say that again," Sakura snorted.

"They're not _that_ bad," Kurenai intervened with a placating smile, trying to mediate the situation. She shared a knowing glance with Hinata, winking at her in mischief when the Hyūga heiress blushed.

"You know, I think he has a woman," Ino stated while scribbling in calligraphic writing 'Congratulations, Emiko-chan' on a card.

"Yeah, right..." Sakura scoffed, refusing to even contemplate this.

"No, I'm serious! There is no other explanation why he'd wanna move out or why he's never showing up at my gatherings," Ino insisted, rouge lips puckered in disapproval.

"Shikamaru has never showed up at your gatherings for years, Ino. He's just not interested," Kurenai reminded her, shaking her head at how quick Ino jumped to assumptions.

"He might be a lazy bum, but he's a red-blooded male for crying out loud. You don't really think he's asexual, do you?" Ino countered in a blunt, utterly tactless remark, and Hinata nearly choked on her tea.

"I-Ino-chan..." Hinata admonished softly, flustered.

"I'm sorry, but you know how it is, Hinata. You've been around Kiba for too long not to know these things..." Ino made a sound of displeasure low in her throat, though the strange coyness in the azure of her eyes disputed her miffed demeanor. ''That horn dog!''

"Is Naruto not taking proper care of you?" Sakura piped in with a sly half-smirk.

"N-Naruto-kun is wonderful," Hinata hurried to defend her chosen partner, overcoming her timidness at the insinuation.

"Alright, stop teasing her, you two," Kurenai cut in, secretly amused by their playful banter. "Even if Shikamaru _is _seeing someone that's none of our business, now is it?" she finished, ending the discussion.

"He can date whomever he wants, but I need to know _who _that is!" Ino persisted, clearly choosing not to take the hint.

"Worry about your own love life, Ino-pig – or lack thereof." Sakura delivered her jab in the most casual of tones, adding insult to injury.

"What did ya say, Forehead!?" Ino all but growled at her, revved up for one of their usual squabbles.

"M-minna..." Hinata tried to diffuse the tense situation, quite unsuccessfully.

**Word Count: 1400**


	4. Mosaic Shards

Shikamaru had spotted Kurenai easily amidst the crowd of excited parents and children waiting for the initiation ceremony to commence at the Academy's entrance, but his attention was more focused on a lone figure reclining against a tree a few yards away.

"How was your mission?" he asked as he approached the female kunoichi, hands in his pockets and expression unreadable.

"Successful," Tenten replied, her tone flat and devoid of emotion, implying she was not really in the mood for small talk of any kind.

"Want me to hang around?"

"No, I'm leaving anyway. I just dropped by for Emiko-chan's big day since I won't be coming to the celebration afterwards, but I don't think I can stay after all," she explained, allowing a variety of raw emotions to color her bland tone. Pain, frustration, dejection, self-loathing – her voice cracked under the heaviness of all the things she usually repressed, and Shikamaru recognized them all too well.

"I'll tell Kurenai you were too tired," he offered, draping an arm around her shoulders on a careless impulse, but he wasn't prepared for the reaction his casual gesture caused. Tenten was not the kind to indulge in sentimental displays – which he was grateful for – yet the way she clung to him at this moment told him more than her lips ever would, strangely made him want to cage her for as long as she wished him to.

"Thanks, Shikamaru," she murmured, albeit _too_ softly, practically wrenching herself out of his arms to leave. "See you later."

* * *

"Did you see that?" Ino gasped, pale blue eyes wide, barely suppressing the urge to point in the direction where a very interesting event had just occurred.

"Ino –" Kurenai chastised, having noticed the occurrence the blonde kunoichi was fussing about. Knowing Shikamaru would not appreciate this, she tried to prevent Ino from drawing unnecessary attention to the matter.

"See what?" Sakura snapped her head up from where she was playing with Emiko while they waited for the Hokage to make an appearance and start the ceremony. Slight curiosity laced her tone after Ino's sudden exclamation, guessing correctly a scoop was in the air.

"Tenten just hug-" Ino began impatiently, ignoring Kurenai's awkward cough, but a high-pitched, shrill noise muted her words completely.

"Ehem! Is this thing working?"

"Naruto..." Sakura grumbled, her eyes thinning to slits and hands covering her ears in an attempt to drown out the unpleasant screeching thanks to a miscalculation in the microphone's volume.

"Welcome, new students! I happily announce the start of a new school year!" Naruto hollered ecstatically after he fixed the volume, grinning with palpable exhilaration. Silence fell over the gathered crowd as all waited with bated breath to hear their Hokage's speech, but the blond shinobi just laughed nervously, his eyes searching around frantically.

"Iruka-sensei?" he whispered with discomfort. Unfortunately, he didn't account for the mic in front of his mouth transforming the low sound to a mighty booming one.

"That idiot! The Hokage is expected to make a speech. What was that all about?" Sakura huffed after a flustered Iruka hurried to take the Hokage's place and complete the initiation ceremony.

"Naruto-kun had prepared a speech, but after Iruka-sensei read it, he insisted he should be the spokesperson instead," Hinata explained with a timid smile.

"I can only imagine what the speech contained..." Sakura snorted, shaking her head.

"Forget about Naruto! Didn't you see what hap-" Ino attempted to turn the conversation back to the matter that nagged her, not deterred in the least by the interruption, but she wasn't given the choice to conclude her sentence once more.

"Shikamaru! You came!" Emiko squealed, sprinting towards him the moment she saw his leisure approach.

"Someone is excited," he commented, lips curving in a slow grin, bending to scoop her up. The lilting sound of giggles filled the air as Emiko wound her arms around him, nestling against his chest. A slight frown marred his lax features once he caught sight of Ino's disgruntled expression, however.

"What? I'm on time, right?"

"I _saw_ you, Shikamaru," Ino pressed, eyes narrow, boring into his intently.

"Tenten wanted me to tell you she's tired from her mission, so she won't be able to come to the party afterwards, but she wishes Emiko the best," Shikamaru relayed to Kurenai, deciding to disregard her comment in hopes of it or – better yet – her going away.

"Is she alright?" Kurenai asked, discerning there was more to it than that.

"Probably," he shrugged, silently conveying this was a private affair.

"Shikam-" Ino growled, tapping her foot to the ground in agitation, but he was really not in the mood to deal with her.

"Give it a rest, Ino. It was _just_ a hug; and you'd have done the same in my place. Or have you forgotten what day is today?" Shikamaru returned, a bit harsher than he would have liked, yet unable to halt his eristic response.

"Wha-" Ino reeled back, mulling over his words before it hit her like lightning.

"Oh, I'm _so _sorry, I was excited about Emiko and I didn't think..." she mumbled, mortified, wishing to disappear after she finally made the connection.

"Can I take her inside?" Shikamaru turned to address Kurenai, noticing most fathers were carrying their children to the classroom. Even if he was feeling a pang of regret for his intentionally harmful comment, he couldn't take it back now either way.

"I'd appreciate that, thank you," Kurenai nodded, relieved and grateful for his consideration.

"Be a good girl and listen to Iruka-sensei, Emiko," she advised her daughter, kissing her smooth cheek.

"I will! Bye, mama!" Emiko promised, waving animatedly till they were out of sight.

"I can't believe it totally slipped my mind. I'm _such _an idiot," Ino muttered, dejection leaking off of her in thick waves.

"Don't beat yourself up, Ino. Truthfully, I forgot as well. We've been swamped at the hospital lately... it's easy to forget things." Sakura patted her friend's back, expression downcast, sharing her guilt.

"Maybe we can visit Tenten after Emiko-chan's party? We can go pay our respects together," Ino suggested, needing to do something – _anything_ – to correct her slight.

"U-um, I think it would be best if we visited in the afternoon," Hinata supplied, wringing her hands and chewing her lower lip.

"Oh, right, she must be tired from her mission," Sakura recalled Shikamaru's earlier words.

"It's not that exactly..." Hinata shook her head, getting even more nervous if that was even possible.

"Neji-niisan always visits Gai-sensei's grave in the morning," she ended up spilling, voice lowering to impossible decibels.

"Right," Ino drawled, shuffling uncomfortably after Hinata's admission.

"Has Neji said anything to you about... what happened?" she asked then, rendering the dark haired woman speechless.

"I – I can't ask him _that_!" Hinata chocked out after she finally found her voice.

"I know you mean well, Ino, but if Tenten wanted to share the story, she would have said something by now. It's been over a year..." Kurenai intervened on account of the absent woman, fully understanding why Shikamaru did not divulge more previously.

"I'm just worried about her... we don't hang out like we used to anymore. I keep inviting her to our girls nights, but she never shows up," Ino bit out, making a sound between a cry and a sigh.

"I thought she needed some space, but maybe we should have done something sooner. She's obviously not over whatever happened between her and Neji-san. In fact, she has been alienating us more and more as time goes by," Sakura continued Ino's thought, her remorse for not acting sooner eating at her, adding to the gloom that surrounded the female party.

"Kurenai-sensei! You look great!" A loud voice cheered as a blond man approached them, brimming with exuberance, unaware of the serious conversation that was taking place.

"Thank you, Naruto. But I think it's time you stopped calling me that; you are the Hokage, after all," Kurenai inclined her head, hiding an amused smirk at his flabbergasted expression after her comment.

"Yeah, I should probably stop that," he mumbled, embarrassed.

* * *

Shikamaru was mildly surprised to find Kurenai alone when he returned after leaving Emiko in Iruka's capable hands.

"Why are you alone, Kurenai?" he asked, itching for a cigarette after the stressful events of this morning, yet refraining as always.

"Ino and Sakura had an early shift at the hospital and Naruto took the chance to abduct Hinata somewhere. They'll come by the house later for the party," Kurenai informed him, a knowing – sweetly forlorn – gleam shimmering in her scarlet depths. It wasn't difficult for Shikamaru to surmise that her thoughts revolved around Asuma and their trysts, meaning he needed to distract her before her mind wandered to darker musings.

"Remind me again why we voted him as the Hokage?" he prompted her, tone dripping in dry sarcasm.

"Because Kakashi was nowhere to be found when he was nominated for the position and Tsunade-sama was left out of other viable options," Kurenai humored him, a half-smirk tugging at her lips and eyes alight with mirth.

"And the sculptors complained on how easier their work would be if it was Kakashi because of his mask and all. Can't say I blame them," Shikamaru continued with a mock sigh.

"So you _do_ remember," she shot back, shaking with suppressed laughter.

"Touché."

Kurenai couldn't take it any longer; bell-like laughter escaped her throat, caressing his ears with its mellifluence, and Shikamaru had to swallow the urge to drink that laughter from her lips, taste its sweetness, be consumed by its addictive flavor.

"Walk me home if you're not busy?" she implored him with a slight flutter of her long lashes.

"Sorry, I have work to do, but you can just ask me what you want without pretense, Kurenai," he declined, acutely aware of the true purpose behind her request.

"Nothing gets by you, does it? Damn geniuses," she huffed good-naturedly.

"Nah, it's more of an occupational hazard, actually," Shikamaru corrected her assumption, making her regard him with curiosity, a finely shaped, ebony brow raised in question.

"ANBU," he offered simply, seeing no reason to elaborate.

"I didn't know you served! Why didn't you tell me?" Kurenai exclaimed, bewildered.

"Oh, right, you couldn't..." she murmured sheepishly when it dawned on her that ANBU had a strict 'don't ask, don't tell' rule.

"Why did you enroll? Or quit for that matter?" she then pressed, genuinely intrigued, staring at him with barely concealed fascination.

"I'll answer _one_ question." Shikamaru did not truly process the words before they slipped past his lips. He wasn't sure if this was a test of some sort, an underhanded trick for him to extract some answers from Kurenai even if she was not currently conscious of them.

"Are you seeing Tenten?" she asked after a minute pause, meeting his gaze squarely, and Shikamaru couldn't help but gain some kind of twisted satisfaction from her chosen question.

"Yes," he confirmed, perusing her carefully, too closely.

"Take care of her, Shikamaru," she uttered in a barely audible whisper, breath struggling in her lungs, yet she smiled at him. The smile was deceptively warm, made her sick to her stomach, having used it on countless occasions before, but never with him. She only smiled like this when people asked questions regarding Asuma, how she fared, if she needed anything, or was she alright. It was a lie of a smile. Kurenai had never used it on Shikamaru because he had simply never asked such questions of her.

"We're not like that," he spoke low, slow, making damn sure she heard him, that churning feeling of eerie satisfaction blazing in his veins when she leveled him with an expression of confusion – and _relief_.

"Then why –" she dared to ask, willing her tethered nerves to relax, not wishing to give away the merest sliver of her inner turmoil, not understanding the _why_ of it.

"One question, remember? I'll see you at noon."

**Word Count: 2000**


	5. When the Smoke Is Going Down

"I think Ino might have gone a little overboard here..." Naruto pointed out with a slight frown, taking in the crowd of unfamiliar people swarming Kurenai's house. He couldn't be certain but – if he had to guess – a good amount of these people barely exchanged greetings with Kurenai on a daily basis.

"And what's up with the women? Is it my idea or are they kind of... down?" he added, his frown intensifying as he perused the almost tangible cloud of depression around the female group with whom he was actually familiar.

"You think?" Sasuke mocked in a caustic remark.

"Yeah, I_ do_ think on occasions. Shocked?" Naruto returned, voice dripping in sarcasm, though his tone held no real vice.

"Hn." Sasuke merely graced him with a feigned expression of contempt, his onyx gaze focusing on the show Kiba was putting on by being Emiko's pony.

"Inuzuka, you better keep your paws away from Emiko. She's a tad too young to be your new chew toy," Shikamaru warned with a lazy smirk, eliciting a few stifled chuckles from the rest of his company.

"Aw, come on, man! That's just sick... you didn't seriously say that!" Kiba shot back, near retching at the thought, as he let Emiko down to go play with her newly made friends from the Academy. A husky, feminine voice called for his attention before he could pay Shikamaru back for his jab, though.

"Hey, Kiba, long time no see." A curvy, dark haired woman approached him leisurely, an inviting smile on her lips.

"Hey, ah – babe?" Kiba greeted back, trying really hard to recall her name. His confusion must have been apparent in his expression however as her face fell immediately.

She passed him by muttering under her breath. "Asshole..."

"Kiba, if you keep being frivolous with women, you will contract a terrible disease one day," Shino thought it wise to inform him, voice bathed in apathy.

"Whoa, Shino! Be more blunt, will ya?" Kiba snapped at him, refusing to contemplate his teammate's words.

"Neji! Over here!" Naruto yelled when he spotted the Hyūga jōnin.

"Man, you look awful. Kid's been giving you trouble?" he asked, full of concern.

"Hisoka has begun teething. The nights are... difficult," Neji supplied, suppressing the urge to rub his tired lids.

"Sounds tough..." Sasuke offered in a rare show of sympathy.

"I didn't think you'd be coming at all, considering what day it is... I get why Lee, Tenten, and even Kakashi-sensei turned down the invitation," Naruto continued, subtly inquiring for the reason of his presence.

"Hinata-sama rarely makes requests," Neji stated simply, but he needn't have said more in reality. Naruto was aware of the efforts both Hinata and Neji were putting into bridging the gap that had formed between them all these years.

"You know, she's been worrying about you lately – like _a lot_," he confessed, leveling him with a serious stare. Neji nodded wearily, starting to say something in response, but Shikamaru chose to save Neji from having to answer this particular question.

"Neji, can I talk to you outside for a minute?"

* * *

"May I have one?" Neji requested in the privacy of Kurenai's backyard when Shikamaru took the chance to light a cigarette.

"Didn't know you smoked," Shikamaru commented, but offered him one anyway.

"I don't."

"Things are that bad, huh?"

Neji merely shrugged, exhaling a spiraling line of thin smoke. The action was telling in more ways than one would have thought – Hyūga Neji neither smoked nor did he shrug. Shikamaru decided then he'd had enough of small talk and useless tiptoeing.

"I'm sleeping with Tenten," he uttered slowly, not really looking at the other man.

"I know."

"She told me during our latest mission," Neji surprised him by saying. Then a humorless chuckle escaped his lips. "Although, she used a more colorful vocabulary."

"Look, I don't know what happened between you, and I honestly don't care to know, but can you just back off? She's not in a good place right now; and the last thing she needs is you stirring up whatever shit you have going on," Shikamaru got to the point, not enjoying seeing Neji in this state or being forced to change his views regarding the stoic man due to his uncharacteristic behavior.

"You care for her?" Neji asked, glancing at him from the corner of his eye.

"We wouldn't be having this conversation if I didn't, but it's not exactly like that either," Shikamaru returned, recalling telling Kurenai the same thing a few hours prior.

"She is not an easy woman to deal with, is she?" Neji remarked with the barest of sighs.

"No woman is easy, but this one's on _you_," Shikamaru laughed, but it was a hard sound, devoid of merriment or warmth.

"Give my regards to Kurenai," Neji nodded curtly, putting out the borrowed cigarette as he turned to leave.

"Will do."

* * *

Shikamaru had been stroking a cigarette between his fingers absent-mindedly after his conversation with Neji, barely paying attention to his surroundings, when a feminine voice broke through his disconcerting musings.

"Are you going to light that up anytime soon?" Kurenai asked, making him curse his carelessness.

"Kurenai –" Shikamaru didn't have the slightest idea of what he wished to say, but she didn't give him a chance to form coherent thought either way.

"Enough, Shikamaru. You think I haven't noticed all these years?" There was weary comprehension in her voice as she uttered the words, but what struck him the most was the dimmed luster of her gaze. She _knew _he had refrained for her sake, yet instead of consternation all he saw was sadness.

"It's alright. Here, let me," Kurenai murmured, almost cajoling him as if speaking to a child. Procuring a lighter from her pocket, she held it up expectantly, and Shikamaru was left with no other choice but to take the fire she offered him.

"I asked Asuma to give me something of his. I wanted something tangible to remind me of him when he was away on missions. I don't know why I've kept the damned thing... I don't even smoke," she explained when she caught the question in his dark eyes. Shikamaru wasn't sure how she expected him to act after her revelation, hence he remained silent, taking a slow drag of his cigarette. Seemingly calm, he waited for her to tell him what to do, give him some kind of direction.

"But_ you_ smoke." Kurenai tilted her slender neck back to peruse him with coquettish invitation under the thickness of her lashes. Desirous provocation slinked in the garnet shade of her eyes as she spoke. "I'm not giving it to you, though. If you want to use it then visit me."

Shikamaru could have chosen to ignore the clandestine offer in her words, would have done as such on any other occasion. Perhaps, the narcotic effect of the rich smoke was to blame for their shared lapse in judgment. For him, it loosened his inhibitions, made him more susceptible to the promiscuous lure of her lips. For her, it awakened sealed memories of lust, made her recall the primal attraction of a man. He instinctively knew that even if she _was_ thinking of Asuma, it wouldn't have made a difference at this point; he was simply too far gone to care.

Shikamaru wasn't even aware that he had leaned into her until he was close enough to lose his mind in the intoxicating scent of her skin. She was lavender and softness and desire, drawing him in, beckoning for a taste. Lowered lids and parted lips, she breathed in the ringlets of pale smoke slipping from the seam of his mouth, slowly inching towards him, craving more. The barest gliding of sultry flesh shattered the last remnants of his resolve, and Shikamaru would have taken all she was so intent on giving right then and there - consequences be damned - if they had been left uninterrupted.

"Kurenai-sensei, we're going to cut the cake!" Ino hollered from inside the house, without making an appearance, thankfully.

"I'll be right there!" Kurenai called back, startled. Sparing a lingering glance at his lips, she rushed inside without daring to contemplate what had almost occurred between them, but she didn't really have to speak for Shikamaru to know the deadal array of her thoughts. They could be summarized in one single word.

_Fuck_.

**Word Count: 1400**


	6. Storm in a Teacup

"Hey, Tenten. Sorry for the sudden visit. Can we _please_ come in?" Sakura practically begged, emanating waves of uncertainty.

"Sure," Tenten murmured, pleasantly surprised, stepping back to allow them entrance.

"I'm sorry for missing Emiko-chan's party," she apologized sheepishly.

"It's alight, we understand," Hinata reassured her, flashing a small smile.

"How have you been?" Ino asked stiffly, trying to ignore the awkwardness of the situation.

"Good. Tea?" Tenten returned with the barest nod after they situated themselves in her living room, starting the preparations without really waiting for confirmation.

"I brought flowers. We thought maybe we could visit Gai-sensei's grave together?" Ino informed her with a questioning timbre as she leaned over the counter. "If you don't mind, of course."

"I'd love that, thank you," Tenten accepted their thoughtful gesture, her lips curving in a rare, genuine smile.

"How was the party?" she asked, carrying the tray to the low, oak table.

"A huge success – Emiko-chan had a lot of fun!" Sakura answered, grinning widely now that the tension seemed to be naturally dispersing.

"Speaking of which… I asked Sai to draw some pictures as keepsakes; and to ensure he wouldn't open his big mouth for the duration of the party…" she took out a sketchbook, adding the last part with a rather sour tone as she recalled Sai's total lack of social skills.

"I haven't looked at them yet, but I thought you might want to see them."

"Kiba-kun…" Hinata sighed with near pity in her voice at the first drawing of Kiba being bitch-slapped by a busty, blonde female.

"That idiot Sai… why did he draw _that _of all things?" Sakura clicked her tongue, thinking she was an idiot for assigning the eccentric artist with the task of creating some beautiful memories for Emiko.

"Aw, you look _so _cute, Hinata!" Ino exclaimed, smirking slyly at the next picture.

"W-we didn't do anything like that!" Hinata hurried to deny, pale eyes wide in disbelief and red as a tomato.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about," Tenten chuckled, leaning to take a closer look at it. Hinata was sitting on Naruto's lap while they shared a sweet kiss in an isolated corner. Sai had truly managed to capture the loveliness of the moment with his gentle brushes and soft highlights.

"B-but we _didn't_…" Hinata insisted, getting even more flustered.

"Here, you can keep it. Just don't let Naruto hang it in the Hokage's office." Sakura passed it over, winking at her with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"He would _so _do that!" Ino agreed, breaking out in loud laughter.

"Oh..." Sakura barely had time to slap a hand over her mouth in an attempt to silence her surprise before Ino reacted without a second thought once she took notice of the next drawing.

"Is Neji smoking!?" she screeched, flabbergasted.

"Ino-chan!" Hinata admonished, glancing towards Tenten.

"I'm so sorry, Tenten! I had no idea Sai had drawn this. I should have taken a look before bringing them over," Sakura blurted, trying to salvage what she could.

"It's fine," Tenten shrugged with seeming disinterest, yet it was a strained motion.

"No, it's _not_ fine. _You _are not fine," Ino disputed, not missing a beat, leveling her with a hard – _too_ _knowing_ – stare.

"Ino!" Sakura scolded, shocked by her forwardness.

"Subtlety isn't my strong suit, and Tenten appreciates bluntness anyway," Ino explained with a no-nonsense tone.

"Just ignore Ino. You _don't_ have to tell us anything, Tenten," Sakura made to assure her, pining Ino with a withering glare, but Tenten was too absorbed in the picture to pay her any attention.

"He's not a bad man," she whispered, voice carrying a vulnerable nuance, caressing Neji's inked image slowly.

"He's just a man who made a mistake – and I'm _partly_ to blame for it. I could have forgiven him and moved on if he hadn't told me the truth, but Neji would _never_ lie. I wished him to lie – for once – and I hated him because he didn't. I can't forgive _myself_ for the part I played, and that's why I can't forgive him either," she confessed, not really understanding what made her share even a sliver of her innermost thoughts, but unable to halt her words once they spilled forth.

"Don't ask me for details – _please_," she then implored, fighting not to break under the pressure of heavy emotions she rarely allowed to surface.

"But _something_ must have happened, recently?" Ino pressed, undeterred by Sakura's low hiss in her futile attempt to shut her up.

"Naruto must have thought we would be ready to start taking on missions together after a year, and I couldn't refuse without proper cause, so I went on the _damn_ mission. And something _did _happen." Tenten decided to indulge Ino just this once, seeing no reason to pretend any longer.

"It was no more than a low murmur over the campfire, three simple words – _I miss you_ – and that's when I lost it. I told him he had no right to say those words, that I was over him and he meant nothing to me. I even said I was _fucking _someone just because I wanted to be crude and _hurt _him – because I, too, missed him.

"I miss him _so much_ it hurts to even breathe some days…" she mumbled in trembling gasps, burying her face in her hands to hide the tears welling beneath her misted lashes. Hinata was the one who engulfed her in a loose embrace, mutely offering her body warmth and comforting kindness.

"Gah, enough of this! Let's go pay our respects to Gai-sensei then have a night out. We'll drink, laugh, and do utterly stupid things like old times," Ino bit out between sniffs, strongly affected by the emotionally charged confession that had taken place.

"I'd like that." Tenten made a muffled sound – a cry and a laugh – wiping away the burning tears gliding down her white cheeks.

"It's decided then!" Sakura chimed in, suppressing her soft sniffling, her condition not much better than Ino's.

"I can't… Naruto-kun will –" Hinata protested weakly, but Ino didn't give her the chance to finish her sentence.

"He can hug his pillow for once, Hinata. Come on!"

"Or he can hug Sasuke. He certainly gets more chances than I do lately," Sakura scoffed, thin lines of vexation creasing her forehead.

"You've missed much, Tenten. Let me tell you aaaall about it while I get hammered," she drawled, derision evident in her caustic tone.

"Sure, let me lock up," Tenten laughed, amused, and curiously intrigued.

"We'll be waiting for you outside."

"I'll be right out," Tenten called back, her sole attention on the stack of disarrayed pictures on the low table.

"Shikamaru –?" she murmured under her breath, chocolate brown gaze wide in shocked bewilderment, perusing the compromising drawing that painted a very intimate moment between him and the last woman Tenten would have ever expected to see him dallying with.

"So that's it, huh?"

* * *

Shikamaru stretched his neck in lazy motions, exhaling a long sigh as he made his way to the living room where Kurenai had spent the last half hour tidying up.

"I put Emiko to bed. She was exhausted after all the strenuous activities today."

"Thank you, Shikamaru. You didn't have to stay," Kurenai replied distracted, much too absorbed in her vigorous cleaning.

"Ino should have done the same, considering she created this mess in the first place," he remarked tiredly.

"I don't mind cleaning up on my own." Kurenai wasn't sure what prompted her to say the words she uttered next, but the desire to know his reaction was overwhelming in her mind. "The girls wanted to visit Tenten."

"Kurenai –" Shikamaru spoke her name, the sound slow, inviting. "Are we going to talk?"

"I _can't_ – you know I can't," she returned with a slight shake of her head, voice barely a whisper, well aware of what he meant.

"Look at me, woman."

Her neck snapped back at the sharp command, crimson eyes wild, unfocused. Shikamaru had never used such a sovereign timbre with her before. She didn't even know he _could_ make such a terrible – _yet_ _arousing_ – sound.

"I have thought of literally a hundred and two reasons for why this is a _bad idea_ – I know, trust me – but then you laugh and flirt and let me kiss you and I forget every single one of them," he uttered in barely leashed agitation, eyes boring into hers, taking her captive in their noir ambiance. The heated intensity of his gaze belied the husky resignation in his chuckle.

"I didn't –"

"I'm not finished."

"You are even jealous of Tenten... you know why that is?" Shikamaru regarded her with deliberate aggression. He very much reminded her of a _predator_ in this moment, and Kurenai couldn't help but allow him to answer this question _for _her.

"Because you think I'm yours," he delivered without the merest hesitation in his statement.

"I don't think that," she denied shakily, teeth biting into her lower lip on instinct.

"Yes, you do," he pressed, a slow half-grin forming on his lips, riveted by the temptation of her reddened flesh.

"Don't try to tell me you've never had this thought because that would be a lie. _I _was the one whom you counted on during your pregnancy, who first held your daughter, who stayed awake to care for her during her colic episodes, who helped her take her first step. I could go on, but I've made my point already. I have always been there when you needed me, I have never showed interest in any other woman, and I have never given you reason to believe that would ever change. You came to regard me as _yours_ unconsciously. You never accounted for the fact that I might be involved with another woman without your knowledge up until the moment you saw me with Tenten."

"This didn't happen because I wanted to monopolize you," she rasped, wishing to argue with him, tell him he was _wrong_ – but he _wasn't_.

"No." His voice morphed to a rumbling nuance, half-lidded gaze raptured by the plumpness of her lips. "You damn near kissed me because you wanted to."

**Word Count: 1700**


	7. Shadow of Love

"I –" Kurenai took a step back on impulse. This new, foreign side of him didn't make sense in her mind, shouldn't elicit such a thrilling sensation in her.

Shikamaru took a step forward after her small retreat, not allowing her room for escape. Sinuous fire blazed in the darkness of his eyes and the huskiness of his voice when he spoke.

"You wanted to kiss me then."

Kurenai took another step back, her back colliding with the kitchen counter, barely having time to right her balance. Mimicking her, he took another step towards her, caging her with obvious intent. His hands planted themselves on the counter behind her, and she couldn't help but chance a glance down, perusing the flexing muscles in his arms with haziness.

"And you want to kiss me now."

The words were swollen with heavy desire, spoken mere inches from her lips. Her lashes fluttered once, lips unbearably dry; her heart pulsed in erratic patterns and molten wetness gathered low in her stomach. Kurenai could almost taste the smoky nuance of his voice on her skin. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, only to be captured by him, teeth dragging against the cerise flesh, and he was kissing her. Invading. Delving. Conquering. She tried to anchor herself, neck craned back, hands clutching at his waist, nails digging into his sides. A deep – shamelessly wanton – moan spilled into his mouth, tangled with his tongue, and he leaned into her more, flattened her breasts against the hardness of his torso.

Kurenai was panting heavily by the time he released her, chest rising and falling quickly."What are we doing?" she murmured, torn between wavering logic and untamed want.

He gave a low chuckle, the sound highly aphrodisiac, melting away any resistance she might have still held. "_I_ am doing what I've wanted to do for _years._" He took a small step back to let her breathe, but kept her trapped between the hard contours of his body and the counter, not distancing himself.

"You have no idea, do you?" he spoke more to himself than her, tilting his neck back to exhale a long sigh. Her half-lidded gaze followed the slow motion, mesmerized by the strained cords of his neck, and she throbbed with desire to lave the bared flesh for the merest of moments. The throaty cadence of his voice broke her out of her lustful musings.

"You wanted to know why I enlisted in ANBU? It was because of _you_," Shikamaru stated, drawing her attention to his eyes. His coal gaze scintillated in the dim lighting, luring her in, yet he spared her the desirous infection of his eyes. His lids lowered, lips thinning and features contorted in an expression of near tangible ache.

"I needed to distance myself before I did something I'd later regret. But it didn't work; it only made me want you more. I missed you so goddamn much during those days." He almost groaned, raising his lids to regard her with pained need.

If she felt even a slice of shock by his rasped revelation then she hid it very well. It was not difficult to do; lingering desire drowned out everything else. "You never said anything..." she whispered, slender hands massaging his sides abstractedly.

Shikamaru shook with restrained laughter at her simple comment. "I didn't have to. The signs were all there if you wanted to see it, but you chose to ignore them," he explained, leveling her with a stare that actually made her flush lightly in addition to his words.

"Even Temari could tell, despite her scarce visits; she made a clean cut once she caught on and told me to get my head out of my ass and make a move," he then added, giving in to laughter at the memory. "And before you ask, Tenten approached me first. She needed a distraction in the physical sense, no emotional attachment, and I accepted her offer on a careless whim."

Kurenai took pause to mull over this before she asked the inevitable question Shikamaru knew was coming. "What about now?"

"I like her, Kurenai," he returned without a moment's hesitation, enjoying the sharp intake of breath his admission elicited in her.

Then he decided not to torment her any longer. "As a _friend_... with whom I occasionally slept," Shikamaru pointed out, lips curving in a knowing half-smirk.

"Past tense?" Kurenai asked for elaboration even though she had heard him just fine and could surmise the true meaning of his remark.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Shikamaru –"

"I'm going to kiss you again now. You can either shut up and enjoy it or slap me and throw me out – your choice."

Kurenai certainly had a legion more questions to ask, but she would ask him later, much later.

* * *

"So," Ino drawled, cheeks reddened and slightly slurring due to high alcohol consumption. "What was that about fucking someone?"

Hinata chocked on the one drink she had been sipping for the whole duration of the night, and Sakura hurried to pat her back in circles, taking the drink away.

Tenten merely shrugged. "Nothing, just something to rile up Neji," she casually replied, but Ino snorted, eyes narrow and discerning, her reaction telling Tenten she didn't buy this one bit.

"Alright, fine!" she conceded, making a low growling sound of exasperation. "It _was_ something... but it's over now."

"That bad in the sack, huh?" Ino wiggled her brows with sly insinuation, causing Hinata's cough to worsen.

"Ino!" Sakura admonished, but was drowned out by Tenten's raucous laughter next.

"I – I'm sorry, but that's beyond hilarious for some reason..." she bit out between howling laughter, fighting to stay upright. Ino stared at her in churning confusion, but Tenten shook her head. "Trust me, it's better if you never know."

Finally coming down of her laughing fit, she deigned to gift Ino with an explanation."Nah, it's _definitely_ not that, but I just found out he's hung up on someone else. I mean, I suspected it for a while now, but he never mentioned anything, so I never bothered him with nosy questions. I'm going to end it tomorrow; it was merely a fling, anyway."

Ino opened her mouth to ask for details – no doubt – but a languid, male voice interrupted her before she had a chance to voice them.

"Ladies, fancy seeing you here."

"Hey, Genma, what's up?" Ino greeted the handsome Jōnin, her gaze widening when she took in his drenched appearance. She raised a blonde brow in question, mutely inquiring of his wet state, though she did find the sight quite sexy.

"Oh this?" he followed her gaze, taking the hint. "You can blame Kakashi. I had to stand in the rain for hours till he finally let me drag him here for a drink to get his mind away from... stuff." He refrained from actually explaining the reason, seeing as Tenten was sitting at the table, and she certainly didn't need a reminder of what day it was.

"How is he?" Sakura cut in, a slight frown marring her delicate features and green eyes dimmed with worry.

"Moody, broody, a pain in my ass? Why don't you go keep him some company? I've done my part as a friend, and I'd much rather speak with some lovely ladies," Genma replied, almost muttering his response, clearly annoyed yet still – somewhat – concerned.

Sakura nodded curtly, thanking him for staying with Kakashi for so long, and got up to head towards the lone, white haired man at the end of the bar. Hinata shuffled in her seat with discomfort as the dark haired man situated himself between her and Tenten when Sakura evacuated her seat to him.

"A-ano, I think I'll have to go home now. I told Naruto-kun I'll be back before midnight and it's already half past one," she mumbled with uncertainty, fiddling with her lukewarm drink.

"Aw, come on, Hinata-chan. I just got here..." Genma pouted with a crestfallen expression, making the women giggle.

"Shiranui, Genma," a frosty, unfamiliar voice with a heavily threatening timbre called his full name.

The Jōnin turned to gaze at the elderly male who had spoken in mild confusion, his calm demeanor changing dramatically when said geezer transformed into their very familiar and mightily pissed off Hokage.

"Are you hitting on my wif-... woman?"

"You have been here the whole night!?" Ino screeched, caught between shock and amusement.

* * *

"That was mean of you, Kakashi," Sakura commented between muffled laughter, taking in the scene that was unfolding at her previous table as she sat on a bar stool next to her former sensei.

Kakashi didn't look the slightest bit remorseful for not having warned his friend of the impeding doom that awaited him before he left his company.

"You noticed, huh?" His visible eye creased in twisted joy, and Sakura could swear he was smirking under that damnable mask he wore all the time.

"Not really... I just took a guess. I've known Naruto for a long time after all," she returned with a shrug, contemplating ordering another drink after already having had quite a few. Her emerald gaze scanned the bar in barely leashed curiosity, almost absent-mindedly.

"He's not here, Sakura," Kakashi stated, his voice carefully neutral.

Sakura slumped in her seat, stifling a sigh. "Am I that obvious?" she asked with a faltering smile.

"Not really... and the rest you know," Kakashi threw her previous line back at her, lips quirking as he waited for her coming indignation.

"You're horrible!" she half-chastised half-laughed, nudging his shoulder in mock offence.

"Need a drink?"

"More like a dozen..."

**Word Count: 1600**


	8. Terra Incognita

He was dominating her, against her kitchen counter; Shikamaru hadn't even laid hands on her yet, but she _felt_ it in the roughness of his tongue inside her mouth, the grazing of her nipples against his chest, the gliding of her core on his thigh. His sinewy assault had erased all perception of time in her mind. He could have been kissing her for hours for all she knew.

"Shikamaru –" His name thrummed amidst her throaty moans and his low grunts.

Kurenai didn't want to stop kissing him, wished he would never cease this decadent seduction, but they needed to talk. The only time she could chance a word was when he took pause for a breath of sexually charged air.

"How long are you going to –" Her sentence never made it past her lips in whole. A swift, hard thrust of his muscled thigh, and all she could think of was _please, do it again_.

"As long as you let me?" It was more of a chuckle and less of a question, and she knew he was playing with her, preying on her raw desire.

"Good answer," she panted. Her nails raked his sides, curled around the coarse fabric of his vest, granting her a sense of stability.

"I'm sensing there is a '_but'_ coming," he murmured against her skin, lips laving the pale expanse of her cheek bone, and he finally moved his arms. Shikamaru cupped her buttocks, molded the pliant flesh, and pulled her down on him hard; he slid her pelvis against his thigh, back and forth – slow. Unbearably, slow.

"Y-you... Stop that!" she hissed, lips parting. Her throat drowned a silent scream of pleasure at the sinful motion, and he made that hoarse, indulgent sound again.

"Am I distracting you?"

Kurenai merely huffed in response, mustering the strength to press him back, break this slithery contact of their bodies. "We can't do this... there is Emiko to consider –" she broke out in almost panic, freed from whatever spell he had woven around her.

"Kurenai –"

"And Ino... the gossip!"

"Kurenai."

His hands encircled her delicate wrists, forced her to acknowledge him. He raised them to his neck, made her wound her arms around him, melding their bodies together once more, and she almost moaned.

"Go on a date with me," Shikamaru whispered, eyes strangely calm yet afire with molten flames in their depths.

"What?" she rasped without registering his question, lost within the mounting pyre of his gaze. There was that chuckle again, full of wicked promise.

"Do you want to go on a date with me?" Shikamaru reiterated for her sake, leaning to nip at her lips, reddened and swollen from his attentions.

"I do?" Kurenai barely suppressed a soft yip when his teeth sank into her plump flesh.

"Good," he ground out, resuming his tortuous teasing.

"But –" Any protest Kurenai could have posed became claimed by the wetness of his tongue and the hunger of his kiss.

* * *

A knock interrupted the Rokudaime Hokage as he attempted to make sense of a very suspicious report regarding Sai and a complaint filed against him for sexual harassment from their client.

"Enter," he called with a relieved sigh, closing the rather disturbing file for the time being. Truth be told, he couldn't be happier for the distraction; until he saw the person to whom he owed this pleasant break.

"If this is about last night, I didn't propose!" Naruto all but snapped at the female kunoichi, suppressing a groan of frustration.

Tenten reeled back at the blond shinobi's unexpected outburst. "What?" she asked, utterly confused.

"Ino came by – Oh, it isn't?" he started but stopped after her reply registered in his mind.

"Yeah, I mean, _no_."

The two of them shared an awkward moment of silence before Naruto regained his senses. "What can I do for you then?" he asked blithely as if the event hadn't transpired at all.

"I want a mission," Tenten cut straight to the chase, seeing no point in useless blather.

"You just got back from a mission," the blue eyed man argued with a small frown.

"No, I don't want a _team_ mission. I want a lengthy mission far away from the village. I need some time alone," she clarified, brushing it off as nothing of importance, yet he could tell it clearly was. He burst out in laughter not a minute later.

"What's so funny?" Tenten demanded to know, taken aback by his bizarre reaction.

"You know, I wanted to wait a week to give you some time off before I assigned you a new mission, but there has been a request for you," Naruto revealed, shaking his head at the strange coincidence.

Tenten's brows shot up in surprise at that. "From whom?"

"Suna. I received a mission request this morning; and they asked for you, specifically. They need an instructor at the Academy for our conjoint exchange program, and apparently Temari is dead set on you being the one for the job."

"They asked for me personally?" she repeated, even more surprised.

"Yes, and to quote Gaara," Naruto began, trying to make an impersonation of the stoic Kazekage, "_Temari speaks highly of a Konoha kunoichi named Tenten. We are willing to wait if she is currently unavailable or otherwise indisposed. _Basically, Temari insisted on you and wouldn't take no for an answer," he finished, failing miserably at his mimicry.

"Oh? How peculiar..." Tenten murmured, lips twitching in amusement.

"I didn't know you had close relations with her," Naruto more asked than stated, leveling her with an inquiring stare.

"I don't," she shrugged lightly, "but we share a common acquaintance – amongst other things."

"What other things?"

"Same taste in men?"

"I _so_ didn't want to know that..." he shot back, thinking there was information and then there was _too much _information. "I take it you're interested then?"

"It would be my pleasure. Do they require my services for the whole school year?"

"Yes, is that a problem?"

"No, no problem at all. I guess I'll start packing then," Tenten chirped back, unusually enthused at the prospect.

Naruto nodded curtly, satisfied with her reply. "I'll send them a reply, saying you'll be there in a week."

"A week? I can leave tomorrow."

"No, you can't. What about your going away party?" he reminded her, though she appeared to have no idea of what he was talking about.

"What going away party?"

"The one you'll have once I tell Hinata the news and she relays it to Ino and Sakura-chan," he explained, making a 'duh' grimace, and Tenten had to give him credit for that.

"No chance of me slipping away quietly?" she all but sighed, surrendering to her fate.

Naruto just snorted. "Good luck with that," he returned, voice thick in good-natured irony.

* * *

"I'm going to Suna for a mission that will span almost a year," Tenten announced bluntly, seeing no reason to offer additional details.

Shikamaru regarded her with a contemplative expression, digesting the news slowly. "Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked after a small pause, piercing eyes boring into hers.

"Yeah, I need some time away." She gave him a nod, leaving no room for question.

Shikamaru rubbed his neck, lighting a cigarette out of habit. "I wanted to talk to you about our... relationship, but I don't think it's necessary, now is it?" he remarked with a lopsided grin, and Tenten felt the muscles in her face strain from the effort not to laugh at his offhanded comment.

The corners of her lips curved in mischief as she threw him a piece of paper from the table. "Oh, you mean this?" she drawled in feigned innocence.

"Sai?" Shikamaru surmised, perusing the drawing with mild curiosity.

"Don't worry, I didn't tell Ino," Tenten reassured him, giving in to uninhibited laughter at his piqued expression.

"I know. If you had, she would be screaming at me by now."

"True," she conceded, still grinning.

"So," she continued, nudging his shoulder playfully. "You and Kurenai-sensei, huh?"

Shikamaru gave her a wry smirk, not falling for her trap. "If the picture is anything to go by," he bit back, knowing she was fishing for details.

"Smart-ass," she huffed without real malice, deciding to drop the subject as he didn't seem willing to satiate her curious nature. Her smile widened, became genuine – a smile from the heart. "I wish you the best, Shikamaru. You're a great guy." Then an impish twinkle entered her gaze, and she added with a teasing tone, "If this thing with Kurenai-sensei doesn't work out, you know where I'll be."

"I don't think that would be such a good idea..." Shikamaru retorted, relieved she seemed livelier than he had seen her in months.

"Why – Oh!" Her smile faltered when she made the connection after his remark, and she remembered she had been meaning to ask him something important.

"Temari requested for me specifically. Does she _know_?"

"No. She sent me a letter, explaining they needed a Leaf kunoichi as an instructor, and asked me for someone proficient in taijutsu. I recommended you," he informed her, catching her drift easily.

There was something in his voice that told Tenten there was more to it than he shared. "Is that all? There are others who fit the criteria," she pointed out thoughtfully.

Shikamaru had to give her kudos for that; she really knew him too well by now. "Also, the least likely to hit on her brother," he confessed, albeit a bit grudgingly.

"Kankurō?" Tenten blurted with bemusement, russet gaze wide.

"Gaara," he clarified, exhaling a leisure ringlet of smoke.

**Word Count: 1600**


	9. Last Adolescence

Shikamaru lay sprawled on the wooden porch of his childhood home, idly twirling a shōgi piece on his knuckles. His mother was out when he had come to visit over half an hour ago, probably shopping, and he was left waiting for her. He had never realized how empty the large house felt until now, yet only in the physical sense. Every room, every corner, every piece of furniture held memories in this house; and this porch was the place where most of his dwelt.

"_You've lost three games in a row." Shikaku's deep drawl infiltrated Shikamaru's jumbled thoughts, bringing his focus back to the game before him._

"_I haven't lost this one yet," he clarified in an almost bored tone, though it was a lie. Anyone with half a brain could infer he was heading to his inevitable loss with the careless moves he had made._

_His father's knowing, low chuckle grated on his nerves a little. "Yes, you have, we might as well call it now," Shikaku pressed unfettered, deciding it was a moot point to continue playing with his son's wayward attention. Getting up, he made his way out of the room, stopping to cast down a meaningful stare when he was beside Shikamaru._

"_She has pretty eyes," Shikaku commented offhandedly, making Shikamaru tilt his neck back to give him his undivided attention at last. "But she's trouble."_

_Shikamaru should have seen this coming – not that he minded, though. "Tell me something I don't know," he challenged, lips curled in a wry half-grin. _

"_She's worth the trouble," Shikaku offered without doubt in his voice, pausing minutely, "and you've lost that game, too."_

The sound of the front door opening brought Shikamaru out from the distant memory. Lips curling in that same wry half-grin, he rose to his full height, putting the shōgi piece back, the last game he played with his father still in place on the shōgi board.

"Mom, we need to talk."

* * *

"... and to find out from Naruto of all people!" Ino raved furiously, pacing up and down.

_I'm sorry, _Hinata mouthed with remorse, but Tenten motioned it was alright as she mustered the energy needed to confront the vivacious blonde kunoichi.

"I would have told you," Tenten interrupted Ino's blather, earning herself a wrathful glare.

Ino turned on her with a thunderous expression, clearly not buying it. "Really? When? You'd write us a letter while you were sunbathing in Suna?" she mocked in a snide tone, and Sakura decided she'd had enough by now.

"You've made your point, Ino," the medic nin cut in, voice blunt, dull.

"Are you fine with this, Sakura?" Ino exclaimed, caught unaware by the impassive timbre Sakura used.

"It's her choice," Sakura pointed out simply which made Ino pin her with an all too serious stare.

"What's the matter with you lately? One minute you're angry, then depressed, now indifferent," the blonde kunoichi snapped with ample disbelief.

"Is it hormones? Or sexual frustration?" she took a few random guesses, eliciting Sakura's infamous temper in the process.

"I think we need more alcohol! Let's go buy some, Sakura," Tenten hurried to diffuse the tense situation and prevent a squabble, grabbing Sakura and forcing her none too gently out the door.

"Ino-chan..." Hinata half-chastised half-sighed when the two females left, but she needn't have bothered. Ino had visibly deflated, appearing more somber than angry.

"I'm worried about her, okay? They broke up this morning, you know, but she doesn't seem to care at all," she confessed with a troubled timbre, slumping to the soft cushions unceremoniously.

No, Hinata didn't know, but she wasn't going to point that out. "I see," she murmured.

"Anyway," Ino changed the subject, feeling rather tired and parched. "Did you tell Neji about Tenten's mission?" she asked, reaching for a bottle of water.

"No, of course not."

* * *

"She drives me crazy! Why does she need to butt in everywhere?" Sakura grumbled on their way to the liquor store.

Tenten shrugged, choosing to let the other woman talk out her frustration. "Because that's how Ino is."

Sakura let out an impressive growl, itching to punch a wall. "I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," she bit back, suppressing her aggressive urges.

"Wanna talk about it?" Tenten prompted her, realizing a distraction was due if she wished to keep the village intact and debris free.

"What did she tell you?"

"Nothing."

"I ended it with Sasuke this morning. The spark was simply gone; it felt as if we were together only because that was expected from us," Sakura revealed, a little subdued after Tenten's confession, grateful that Ino hadn't broadcasted it at least. "I was tired of _always_ being the one to make an effort."

"I know the feeling," Tenten mused aloud after Sakura's last sentence, the corners of her lips curving in a forlorn yet painful smile before she buried all such thoughts in her mind.

She patted Sakura's shoulder lightly, making it her priority to lift the other woman's spirits instead of wallow in her past mistakes. "You'll find someone else, Sakura. Plenty of young, male leaves around." She made a show of tilting her neck to the direction of some handsome men passing them by, but Sakura shuffled uncomfortably upon hearing the word 'young', an image of a man who slightly did not fit in that category any longer popping in her mind.

"Is that Kurenai-sensei?" she pointed towards the female Jōnin. "Let's go invite her to your going away party."

If Tenten noticed Sakura's odd reaction to her simple comment then it didn't show. "Is that a done deal?" she grunted with a low groan, and Sakura was caught between a snort and a chuckle.

Shaking her head at Tenten's obvious displeasure at the coming event, she waved at the dark haired woman with a smile. "Kurenai-sensei!"

Kurenai nearly jumped in surprise at the greeting, wrenching her gaze away from the shop's vitrine. "Oh – hey," she called back, a small, uncertain smile tugging at her lips when she noticed Sakura's companion.

"You're out for shopping?" Sakura asked more for conversation's sake since it was pretty much a given by the way Kurenai's eyes shifted to the shop's display.

"Ah, well, maybe?" Kurenai laughed, the sound slightly strained, tugging a wild lock behind her ear in a coy manner.

Sakura appraised her for a few seconds, coming to a very interesting conclusion. "You have a date!" she broke out with a triumphant yell, grinning madly.

Kurenai flushed lightly after her insightful remark. "No, I mean, yes... can you lower your voice?" she implored the overexcited kunoichi. Then her gaze strayed towards Tenten with a hesitant, almost guilty luster in her crimson depths.

_Shikamaru must have told her_, Tenten surmised. "About damn time, if you ask me," she winked at the older woman with a playful smirk, wanting to put her worries to rest.

Kurenai would have sighed in relief if Sakura hadn't chosen that moment to latch on to her sleeve, dragging her inside the store. "Let's go inside! We'll help you pick out something stunning," she chirped in an awfully good mood, glad to be distracted from her own messy life.

"That's really not necessar-" Kurenai tried to politely decline, but it was too late.

"So, what's he like? Is he a shinobi, a civilian, what?" Sakura exploded in a barrage of questions, a twinkle in her eyes, not really paying attention to Kurenai as she went through a rack of dresses.

Tenten chuckled softly, having followed them inside in a more leisure manner. "Careful there, Sakura. You're turning into Ino..." she advised, voice tinged with amusement.

Sakura made a peeved grimace at that. "Never mind then," she waved a dismissive hand, putting an end to her nosy tirade.

Kurenai graced Tenten with a thankful expression, but Sakura was not done as it seemed. "Does he have a color preference at least?" she asked, chewing on her lower lip in contemplation.

"Black, I guess?" Kurenai answered, finding the question harmless enough, and Sakura erupted in a delighted squeal.

"He's the mature type then, dignified and impressive without being showy. You've got yourself a keeper, Kurenai-sensei!" she ranted, changing her focus to dresses of that specific color.

Kurenai was thoroughly baffled by the medic nin's assessment, but a feminine hand on her shoulder stopped her from asking how a simple color preference could reveal that much about someone's personality.

"Don't even ask..." Tenten murmured out of Sakura's hearing range, with a curt shake of her head, and Kurenai thought it wise to heed the warning.

"Tenten –" she addressed the other woman with a hushed voice, unsure of what she wanted to say, but needing to say something.

"Don't make that face, Kurenai-sensei. Shikamaru and I were... friends with benefits, for lack of better wording. We are just friends now," Tenten offered with a serious tone for once, catching on quickly.

"Besides, I'm leaving for Suna in a few days. My going away party is the day after tomorrow. Will you come with Emiko-chan?"

"I'd love to," Kurenai nodded, her whole demeanor brightening after the reassurance. She would have continued to apologize just because she felt she should despite Tenten's easygoing attitude, but Sakura interrupted their quiet discussion.

"Kurenai-sensei, you _have _to try this on!" she all but screeched overjoyed, dangling a piece of clothing in front of Kurenai's face.

Kurenai slowly appraised the knee length, black dress, humming her approval, until Sakura turned it over and she took note of the indecently low cut waist line.

"Uh, Sakura, that's a little –" she began, but the woman had already made a swift turn to search for the correct size without giving her time to reply. Before she had time to follow after her and make her opinion known, Tenten leaned close to whisper with a conspiratorial tone.

"He'll _like_ the open back, got a fetish for bones – spine, hip bones, collar bon-" she informed her, eyes alight with slyness and voice thick in insinuation.

"I think I got it, Tenten," Kurenai shot back half-amused half-mortified, stopping her before she revealed more of the man's preferences in such matters.

**Word Count: 1700**


	10. The Vicissitudes of the Wilderness

"Can you believe it? Kurenai-sensei has a date! It's been years since she last went on one," Sakura exclaimed on their way back to Tenten's apartment, bewilderment written all over her features.

Tenten appeared to be ruminating on this before she answered. "I think last time was with that Jōnin Ino set her up; and she didn't even know it was a date until she arrived at the teashop she was supposed to meet Ino, only to find the guy waiting for her instead," she recalled, the memory eliciting a chuckle from both women.

"I remember how livid she was after that... I never thought Kurenai-sensei had a temper, but she could rival my shishō that day," Sakura bit out between laughs, and Tenten agreed with her wholly.

"Yeah, she managed to scare _Ino_ from ever trying that again... that takes some serious talent," she whistled, still impressed after so many years.

"Let's not mention it when we get back. Ino will have a fit... she'll stalk her day and night till she gets his name," Sakura more stated than proposed, her nose wrinkling in dismay.

A loud snort signified Tenten's agreement. "She's had one too many today, if you ask me. You need to find her a man to occupy her mind," she suggested, glad she wasn't going to be here to undertake the task herself.

"Easy to say, hard to do. She can be damn picky, you know," Sakura grumbled, her mood turning sour at the prospect.

Tenten smirked roguishly, a canny glint in her gaze. "I think she has a thing for Kiba, though," she commented casually, stunning the medic nin into shock.

"No, please, anyone but _him_. He's a... man-whore! Plus, crude and uncouth... Ino would never go for that," the pink haired kunoichi pleaded, her voice laced with stark desperation, yet refusing to believe it.

Unfortunately, Tenten didn't waste much time in shattering her illusion. "Maybe it's his animal magnetism then, but she _wants_ a piece of that. I had a mission with them a couple months back and there was this_ tension_... really uncomfortable. I would have let them share the room had Kakashi not been the team leader; I would have had to bunk with him if I did that since our budget only allowed for two rooms," she insisted on her assumption, making Sakura turn to regard her strangely.

"Why wouldn't you share a room with Kakashi?" she asked, genuinely curious and, if she wished to admit it, a little offended.

"The man reads porn as his favorite pastime, in broad daylight, regardless of audience. Excuse me if I had some reservations," Tenten explained her reasons, inadvertently allaying Sakura's indignation on Kakashi's behalf with her reply.

She actually erupted in humorless laughter at the mere thought. "Pfft... you were in more danger of being groped by Kiba than Kakashi, if that's what you're implying," she retorted, taking a small pause to compose herself before she continued.

"Ino tried once... when she was in her 'sensei-are-_so_-hot' phase. She was shameless, too, but nothing worked. Kakashi is like Shikamaru when it comes to women – not interested," the pink haired kunoichi finished, trying to appear unaffected, but Tenten could detect a slice of dejection in her tone.

_You might be surprised there... _she mused with an inward chuckle, deciding to let Sakura discover on her own how wrong she was in this particular matter.

* * *

Shikamaru froze in his tracks when Kurenai opened her door. For a stagnant moment, time stopped, his mind ceasing all function and eyes beguiled by the woman before him. Why that happened was beyond him at this point; he should have overcome this bad habit of his by now, yet Kurenai was just too damn alluring, standing there all dolled up, smiling at him under her lashes, and biting that tempting lower lip of hers. Burying a low groan in the back of his throat, he finally managed to speak when he found his voice – and his wits.

"I should have probably mentioned that we're not going anywhere fancy."

Kurenai looked startled for the barest of moments, worrying her lip more. "I'm over-dressed?" she uttered with traces of uncertainty in her voice, yet there was a flirtatious note lying underneath.

Shikamaru thought the woman knew what she was doing, dallying with the lust in his eyes, trying to provoke a more intimate response. She succeeded. His arm snaked around her waist on impulse, hauling her against him, fingers splaying against her back; her _bare_ back, he realized belatedly, his blood heating in his veins.

"You're _under_-dressed," he breathed in her ear, lips grazing the delicate flesh. A low rumble vibrated in his chest, a visceral sound, and Kurenai shivered lightly.

"Let's go before I change my mind."

* * *

Kurenai absorbed the beauty of the secluded clearing Shikamaru had led her to. Deep into the olden woods, far from the influence of humans, the earth danced and sang and bloomed.

"I like to come here and gaze at the clouds. The stars aren't so bad either," Shikamaru spoke over the tranquility of the night, lying on thick, plaited blankets, reclining on his elbows with a leg bent, but Kurenai barely heard him.

Her sandals were discarded in careless, brusque motions; she ran around bare-footed, like a child, the lilting sound of her laughter saturating the mellow air. Fresh, soft grass yielded under her foot soles, tickled her toes, and she laughed again. She twirled and frolicked and whirled, her waist bending in sensual curves, her hair coming alive like a black halo of joy, her dress billowing around her thighs with every little jump.

Shikamaru watched her through half-lidded eyes, reveling her uninhibited felicity. The scent of woman and wildness alloyed with the fragrance of pine resin and dewiness. His eyes devoured the merest movement of her slender body with rapture, in hopes of witnessing the luster of her naked flesh. This woman-child, clad in silken blackness, yet her skin shimmered with the iridescence of a rare pearl – more white than snow. The tempting sight of her elusive skin overpowered all wonders the nature laid bare before him.

Kurenai turned to him then, carmine lips split wide, bearing rows of white, perfect teeth. "It's beautiful, Shikamaru."

"Yes, it is," he agreed with a slow upturn of his mouth, the weight of his heart in his smile.

It was then she noticed that his gaze hadn't strayed from her all this time – not even once. Her cheeks flushed a comely rouge hue, and Kurenai hurried back to him, lowering herself beside him on the woolen blankets.

"Did you make all this?" she asked with mild surprise, motioning towards the assortment of dishes arrayed in the middle of their small circle.

Shikamaru regarded her with an amused leer. "What do you think?"

"Yoshino-san?" she took a deductive guess.

"My mom makes the best mackerel bo sushi in the world, you know," he enunciated, ogling said plate. The gentle sheen that glimmered in his eyes softened his mien.

"Uh huh," she hummed, though charmed by his admission.

"Perhaps, a taste will convince you," Shikamaru teased back, picking up a sushi piece and passing it under her nose.

A husky chuckle spilled from her lips as she parted them to accept the proffered food. Her teeth clamped around his long digits playfully, tasting the roughness of his skin before she allowed him to withdraw them.

She chewed slowly, savoring the lush taste. "It's delicious," Kurenai complimented, noting how his eyes darkened in desire after her gesture.

"You told your mother about us?" she asked, aiming for a distraction.

Shikamaru appraised her carefully, the curve of his mouth quirking. "There is an 'us'?" he shot back, faking ignorance.

Kurenai was aware of the little game he had issued with his reply. "I would like to think so," she returned with a mock offended expression, choosing to participate.

The corners of lips twitched as his grin widened. "_Think_? Is that a challenge?" Shikamaru retorted, voice growing heavier, inundating what little space there was between them with naughtiness.

Kurenai didn't miss a beat. "Would you indulge if it was? Don't you find challenges too troublesome?" she reminded him, garnet gaze dancing with invitation.

"Indeed." Shikamaru gave her the barest nod, and he was close, much closer than he had been mere seconds ago. "But that dress is a high incentive; it's terribly lacking."

"You don't say," she drawled, the words gliding across the firmness of his lips. Large hands caressed her sides in leisure strokes, settling on her waist, and she was being dragged into his lap, thighs parting to straddle his hips.

"Not enough fabric," he murmured, warm breath fanning across her cheekbone, blunt nails grazing against her shoulder blades. "And I don't believe I've told you this, but I like –"

"Bones – I know," she finished for him, lyrical laughter drowning a wanton moan.

"Oh do you, now?" Shikamaru ceased the erotic play on her back, tilting his neck to stare at her with mild amusement. "Then, I guess, I don't need to hold back any longer."

Kurenai barely registered the blankets cushioning her fall when he toppled them over. Her knees bruised against his ribs, enslaving him in the heat of her body. But then teeth scraped over the accentuated line of her collar bone, the flat of his tongue smearing wetness upon her skin, and her mind shut down. The physical pain became pleasure and the pleasure became phantom pain – and his tongue! It was doing wonderful, terrible things, and it should never stop.

"Shika-" Kurenai couldn't even utter his full name. The sound died in her throat under the delicious suction on her neck and the decadent grinding against her hips. Had he claimed the dress was lacking, she wondered dazed – because it certainly didn't feel like it now. It chafed against her sensitized skin, begged to be removed. Electricity, current after current, spread from her nipples to her fingertips. Her pelvis moved on instinct, seeking more of the friction he refused to give, needing to alleviate the slow fire between her thighs.

"Impatient, are we?"

His knowing chuckle broke through the nimbus of lust that whetted her senses. Kurenai begrudged that chuckle for the guile of its power. It fructified temptation. Corruption. She would have told him as such had he not taken her hand and guided it between their bodies – lower and lower – until her palm bore proof of his arousal. Shikamaru felt heavy and primal, straining against her touch, and the knowledge vitalized her, passed _her_ the power. No more of that chuckling now. A hiss of pleasure, a grunt of need, a groan of ache.

The screaming urge to slide her hand within the barrier of his clothes and stroke the hardened flesh that faintly pulsed in her tight hold had reached its zenith. A sudden, cautious movement in her peripheral vision disrupted her nefarious train of thought, however. Was that a... deer?

"Ah, Shikamaru?" Kurenai solicited his attention, though he was making it very_ hard_ with the way he thrust against her hand. Opting for a little rough treatment, she gave him a slight squeeze, a bit stronger than what would have been desirable, almost regretting his pained rumble.

Shikamaru followed her line of vision after the less than welcome manner in which she had demanded his focus. "Relax, it must have smelled the food," he ground out once he spotted the graceful animal, biting back a suffered sigh.

"Nobody can resist sweet potato soup," he added with some measure of mirth when the deer took a quick whiff of the food, verifying his assumption.

They watched in absolute silence as the tall animal knelt to sample the dish, finding it to its taste not a minute later. Tremors of laughter coursed through Kurenai's frame at the sight, and Shikamaru couldn't help but share her merriment, still lying atop her. He expected the deer would leave after it had satiated its hunger, yet he was proven otherwise when it sidled towards them with tentative hooves, bending its neck to nudge his shoulder lightly.

"Give me your hand, slowly," Shikamaru bade her, and she obliged, quite stunned by the animal's beauty. His warm hand covered her own, stretching her arm forward to place their entwined hands upon the deer's head with quiet gentleness. Kurenai fought down a sound of excitement as he moved their hands to pet the soft fur from its forehead down its nose – back and forth – for as long as it permitted such liberties. It was over within mere moments, the animal sprinting away into the darkness of the forest.

"The deer ate our food!" Kurenai broke down in laughter, finding the event rather hilarious.

Shikamaru regarded her with a cluster of mixed feelings, torn between loving the animal for bringing such joy upon her face, hating it for interrupting their intimate tête-à-tête, or envying it for stealing the caress of her hand.

"No, really?" he teased her with feigned incredulity, making her slap his chest sprightly.

"This must be the worst date ever."

"Glad to know I succeeded."

**Word Count: 2200**


	11. Time Starts to Move

"We _are_ going to miss you, Tenten." Sakura smiled at the dark haired kunoichi then gave her a tight hug, fighting back tears.

Tenten patted her back, returning the fervent hug. "I'll be back in a year. Besides, you can come visit me. I hear Suna is great during the spring – all sunshine, sand baths and the like," she wiggled her brows, making Sakura choke out a laugh between sniffs.

"Don't be a stranger. If you don't write back, I'm gonna come over there, hijack your body, and make you kiss every single guy there is!" A warning and slightly teasing, Ino, too, engulfed her in a warm hug.

Tenten shook her head, trying to suppress a likewise answer. "Yeah, I got it the first ten times you said that, Ino..." she ended up grumbling, but the medic nin was no longer paying her any attention.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Ino bit out through gritted teeth, her features strung in a vicious glare, directed at a man behind Tenten's back.

"A-ano, Neji-niisan...I didn't tell him about the farewell party, but I think he heard from the guys," Hinata intervened, voice too low, barely audible, wringing her hands and biting her lower lip in discomfort.

Ino's lips thinned, but before she could say anything, Tenten cut in with a sigh. "It's fine. I'm gonna go talk to him for a little bit, alright?"

* * *

Tenten had all but hauled Neji towards an isolated corner, fearing she might lose her nerve if she let him speak first.

"I'm sorry. I said some things I shouldn't have."

Russet gaze boring into his pale eyes, her stare never strayed from his, trying to decipher a sliver of emotion. When Neji finally spoke, his voice was careful, too restrained, inciting her anger but for a moment. For once, Tenten wished the man could just say what he meant without guilt in his mien.

"It was my fault."

"It doesn't matter." Tenten enunciated the words, willed him to accept them. She hated loose ends, and she refused to leave without tying them up first. "Look, I'm going away. I want to start afresh..."

"I see," was all Neji said, but his eyes weren't on her. Tenten followed his gaze, saw what was on his mind, and nearly rolled her eyes.

"He's a friend who got me through a tough time, but Shikamaru has his own life. Just don't give him any trouble, alright?" she demanded, feeling like an idiot. Shikamaru had been dragged into her mess because she was a damn coward. It wasn't difficult to talk to Neji, simply sit down and lay it all out. Tenten had clung to any bonds left between them, no matter how twisted and unhealthy they were, because she didn't wish to let him go just yet.

"Take care, Tenten." Neji's voice was soft, carried none of his previous wariness, and Tenten exhaled in relief. He had known all of this, Tenten could tell, just as he knew she was ready to move on – at long last.

"You, too."

Tenten smiled at him, without shadow of rage or accusation, yet not like the smiles she had gifted him in the past either – never those smiles again.

* * *

"Shouldn't you...you know?" Kurenai cleared her throat, motioning with a tilt of her neck towards a dark spot.

"What?" Shikamaru shrugged once he understood, but there was no reason to get involved, and he told her as much. "Tenten's fine, she doesn't need me to hold her hand."

A half-smirk hidden behind pursed lips, Kurenai huffed. "Are you implying something?"

Shikamaru near groaned when he caught her gibe. "Gods, woman...must you always twist my words? Sometimes it's just that, no deeper meaning..." Then his gaze narrowed as he took in the subtle hints in her expression, and it dawned on him that Kurenai was playing, baiting him.

"You're doing this on purpose," he stated, taking a step towards her, not disguising his intentions.

Kurenai froze, like a doe before headlights. "Shikamaru –" she half-pleaded, half-warned, her eyes glancing at his lips then at his eyes, back and forth.

Close and closer he came; the huskiness of a chuckle touched her lips, warm hands on her waist, fingers splaying wide, denying her escape. "They'll know sooner or later, anyway. Just let them watch. It beats having to spell this out," he murmured against the curve of her mouth, inhaling the shiver of her gasp.

"You can't d-" Kurenai argued, but it was weak, too low a protest, tangled in the snare of his tongue.

* * *

"Ino? _Ino_, what's wrong?" Sakura shook her friend's shoulders, worried. Ino had been ranting about Neji and his supposed gal to come in here when she went stiffly rigid, gaping like a fish, no words coming out of her mouth.

Sakura turned to pinpoint the reason for her distress, green gaze growing wide in shock. "Oh my..." was all she managed to blurt out, but she had no time to gawk at the sight.

"K-Kurenai-sen-sense-" Hinata mumbled, eyes bulging, almost white, right before she fainted.

Sakura barely caught her before she hit the floor. "Hinata!" she yelled, shaking the now unconscious woman.

"What did I miss?" Tenten asked, taken by surprise at finding such a peculiar scene upon returning. Sakura pointed a finger towards the couple a few feet away, wholly immersed in trying to wake the Hyūga girl.

"Oh...well, would you look at that..." Tenten snickered, tremors of silent laughter coursing through her frame. Before she could comment further, Ino fainted as well, and she hurried to prevent her fall.

* * *

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Naruto gaped, blue eyes drowning in disbelief.

Sasuke shrugged, though he, too, displayed signs of concealed bewilderment. "If you're talking about Nara lip-locking with Kurenai-sensei...yeah," he shot back with a curt nod of his chin. An angry bellow rang in their midst then.

"That asshole! What does he think he's doing to Kurenai-sensei!" Kiba hollered, fangs bared, but a hand on his shoulder restrained his violent outburst.

"Kiba. It is none of our concern with whom Kurenai-sensei wishes to mate," Shino declared in utter seriousness, causing a few awkward gasps.

"The fuck, Shino! _Mate_? Are you serious?" Kiba yelled once he found his voice, beet-red with anger and disgust.

Shino continued, unperturbed, as if this was the most natural conclusion in the world. "It is mating season. I find it reasonable that she would seek out a male. Nara is...suitable," the Aburame shinobi finished with approval.

Kiba covered his ears. "Just – stop talking...I'm begging you, man!" he wailed.

"In any case," Naruto cut in, trying to find something useful to say. "I'm glad she's seeing someone, whoever that is," he stated with a grin, satisfied with his insightful comment.

Sasuke snorted, the sound openly mocking. "Did you rehearse that in your head, dobe?"

Naruto turned to stare at him with a calculative gleam. "What? Feeling envious? It's okay, buddy. You can cry on my shoulder." He patted said body part, trying to fight back a snicker.

"What are you talking about, idiot?" Sasuke snapped at him, having an inkling of what Naruto insinuated, and not liking where this was going.

"You know," Naruto leaned in to whisper but loud enough so everyone heard him. "Sakura-chan dumping you...like yesterday."

A scowl above his brows, voice haughty with displeasure, Sasuke flipped him off. "It was a mutual decision."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," Naruto snorted, unable to curb his amusement.

"Kurenai-sensei – _why_?" Kiba wailed again, clutching his temples with despondency.

"I told you, it is mat-" Shino began to reiterate, but Naruto didn't let him finish.

"Shino!" he admonished, trying hard not to make the connection between humans and mating rituals.

"I knew it all along," Chōji remarked between bites, deciding to participate, but his voice went unheard under Kiba's pitiful howl.

**Word Count: 1300**


	12. The Future of Now

_A Year Later, Sunagakure_

A slice of crimson lips and leashed aggression, Temari leveled Shikamaru with a half-lidded glare. "So much for not hitting on my brother," she remarked. Gazing at the soon to be married couple with rapt attention, the teal of her eyes liquefied with mirth.

"You suck at recommendations," she then teased, her smirk as sharp as always.

Shikamaru exhaled a leisure puff before he replied, quite used to her moods. "It's all good. You like her." It was a statement, they both knew, yet her recoil was as natural as the dancing of sand here.

"That's not the point," Temari argued with a slight huff.

Shikamaru merely shrugged, aware she was neither peeved nor displeased. Temari simply missed their repartee since he rarely visited these past years.

"The point is that the oddball you have for a brother is happy."

A blonde brow rose in reproach at that. "He's the Kazekage, you know...show some respect!" Temari elbowed him none too subtly.

"Sure...when you call Naruto 'Hokage-sama'."

A light snort slipped past her lips as Temari turned to peruse the Hokage with intrigue, though Shikamaru could tell her interest was reserved for the black haired man beside Naruto.

"Word of advice." Shikamaru cleared his throat, slightly uncomfortable with the subject. "Stop eyeing Sasuke..." he then advised, "unless you can handle double dates with Naruto."

"Seriously?" the Suna kunoichi all but gaped at him.

Shikamaru gave her a curt nod, almost mechanically, but he wasn't looking at Temari. "And tell Kankurō to stop drooling over my wife."

Temari sighed once she took note of her brother's ministrations. "That idiot..." she murmured, heading towards Kankurō, a tongue-lashing to be due.

* * *

Half-grin slathered on rouge lips, Tenten made no attempt to disguise her amusement when Sakura approached to congratulate her, dragging an aloof shinobi with her.

"Well, well, look who's got herself Konoha's White Mystery," she taunted in a playful jab, earning herself a blush and a wink from the pair.

"Not much of a mystery, really. I'm a simple man," Kakashi began in a casual tone, though a wicked gleam shimmered in his visible eye before he continued. "All I need is some –"

"Kakashi!" Sakura chastised before he could finish, catching his insidious train of thought in time.

Tenten's grin regressed to a sly smirk at witnessing this display. "_Just_ Kakashi...no sensei now, Sakura?" she teased the medic nin, but Sakura never got to reply.

"She reserves that for the bedroom," Kakashi returned for her, and laughed, swiftly avoiding a fist aimed at his ribs.

"And I just warned you..." Sakura growled, miffed, yet Tenten could see it was all a front. Sakura practically glowed with gaiety.

"It's good to see you happy, Sakura," she commented, smiling, voice mellow and genuine.

Sakura made a grimace, though nothing could hide the smile spreading all over her features. "You call being with _him_ happy?" she snorted.

"She loves me," Kakashi added, voice dripping with satisfaction as he wound an arm around Sakura, yet her reply served to erase his grin.

"Not tonight, I won't," the pink haired kunoichi stated, and Tenten erupted in laughter, leaving them alone to their lovers' antics.

* * *

It was a quiet ceremony, without much fanfare, despite the fact it was the Kazekage's marriage. Both Tenten and Gaara didn't appreciate flashy declarations, though Kankurō had tried to change their minds. Shikamaru was glad for this. Coming all the way to Suna was one thing, but being forced to attend excessive festivities was a complication he could do without.

"Tenten is so beautiful," Kurenai whispered as the simple ceremony took place, all misted eyes and soft smiles.

Shikamaru couldn't have agreed more, yet his gaze was not on the woman at the altar. "_You_ are beautiful," he leaned in to nuzzle her cheek. Hushed, full of delight, her laughter caressed his skin, warmed him.

"Smooth-talker..." she chuckled then huffed, pressing a hand against her distended abdomen. "I must weigh more than a whale!" She more felt than saw his grin as lips ghosted over her neck and his hand followed her own, smoothing over the expanse of her stomach in slow circles.

A shallow bite on her lobe, he gathered her in his arms. "Mm, I quite like the curves." Uncaring of the crowd all around them, his hand brushed the underside of a heavy breast, his intentions evident. "_But_, if you want to lose weight, I know of an exercise program with excellent results."

Kurenai swatted his hand away, quite used to such gestures by now, and shook her head. "Your 'exercising program' is the reason I'm in this state to begin with," she bit back, crimson eyes alight with dare.

"Untrue," Shikamaru countered, peppering kisses along her cheekbone. "In the words of a very wise man," he stopped for dramatic pause, "it was mating season."

The lilting sound of her laughter was music to his ears, and Shikamaru clutched her tighter. Kurenai burrowed deep in his embrace, content to be held, her cheeks almost hurting from smiling too much.

"Nature took its course, huh?" she couldn't help but tease back when lips traced a wet path to her ear.

"How you understand me. I see my decision to take you as my mate was a clever one."

Loud cheers wafted in the warm breeze all around them then, signaling the completion of the ceremony, and they both laughed.

**Word Count: 900**

_**~Fin~**_


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